Victims and those missing in condo collapse are remembered at a beach vigil

More than 100 people gathered for a beach vigil Monday night to commemorate victims and those still missing after last week’s condo collapse near Miami.

Family members, friends and residents sat cross-legged in the sand, holding glow-in-the-dark candle sticks and white roses as the sound of waves filled the air. People remained mostly silent as they grieved at the end of the fifth day of a harrowing search for survivors. Hopes have been dimming and frustration has built around the slow pace of rescue efforts.

A half-circle formed around Michelle Cash and her husband, Rich Gausman, who led a “sound healing” session on the beach behind the Four Seasons Hotel at the Surf Club. “Hope” was spelled in the nearby sand with wet seaweed and candlesticks.

As the session went on, people wiped away tears. Others clasped their hands in prayer. A cool breeze offered reprieve from the sweltering heat.

“The pain, the suffering that has been going on in this community will never be understood. Days will pass, months will pass, America, the world will forget about this,” said Leo Soto, 26, who started a makeshift memorial wall near the collapse site. “We have to live through this. We’ll never forget about this.”

Naomi Romo and Alfredo Garcia of Miami brought three bouquets of flowers to the vigil. Romo was in the same graduating class as Nicky Langesfeld, who lived in Unit 804 and is among those missing. Although Romo said she did not know Langesfeld well, she often passed her in the hallway when they both attended Ronald W. Reagan Doral Senior High School.

“It’s a person that you grew up seeing. I’ve seen her since middle school,” said Romo, a 25-year-old therapist. “Everything has been a shock. I’m just here to give any kind of support that I can offer.”